Maguilty Heavenly Body
by ThatJeredyWriter
Summary: Now that Oracion Seis had joined Crime Sorciere, it was time for training. But as Meredy attempts to expand her skills with Sensory Link for more offensive measures, secret feelings surface when she links with Jellal for the first time. Jellal x Meredy (Jeredy) fanfic. Originally posted on Tumblr. This is another way that this relationship could have started. Please enjoy.


"Take this!" Yells Racer as he jumps in with a flying roundhouse kick with his right leg, only to be blocked easily by Cobra's left forearm. "I can hear it," growls the dragon slayer before following up with a right-hand punch aimed straight at Racer's abdomen, sending the speed devil flying back. But the man will not go down so easily. Quickly recovering, Racer lands on his feet and uses his blinding speed to once again close the gap between them. "You might be able to hear my thoughts, but can you keep up with me?" he asks confidently.

Meanwhile, Angel sends a barrage of her small magical creatures towards Hoteye, aiming to surround the large man. However, pulling the bag under his eyes down to reveal his orbs, Richard counters Sorano's attack with his Liquid Ground, causing the ground beneath her feet to melt and engulf the female in the midst of her attack, causing her "angels" to vanish in the process. "Hey, Hoteye! Not fair!" complains the female, "And watch the dress! I just had it cleaned last night!" Richard laughs as he resumes his attack. "You can't be thinking about such things in the midst of battle, Sorano," replies the large man before using his magic to deliver another attack in the form of liquefied earth raging towards Angel like a tsunami, causing her to yell as she struggles to free herself.

Both fights were being overlooked by the leader of their guild, Jellal Fernandes. Indeed, these battles were simply training matches aimed at strengthening the mages. The day is warm and clear, ideal conditions for a training session as they remain isolated within the thickness of a nearby forest region. The heavenly mage's orbs shifts from one mage to mage, studying their techniques and noting the improvements they've made.

But what of the last two members of Crime Sorciere? Jellal gazes over to Midnight. The man sits against a tree with arms and legs crossed, deep in slumber. The bluenette could only sigh and smile. Midnight is a difficult man to motivate into training. But perhaps this is a good sign since Macbeth had always prayed for a quiet place to fall into peaceful slumber.

Finally, his eyes set upon Meredy who seems to be fidgeting nervously by herself. How odd, Jellal thought. Curious to see what was the matter, he makes his way over.

"Meredy," calls out Jellal.

"H-hai!" Meredy's head suddenly straightens up in attention, like a student having been called in a classroom.

"What's wrong? It's not like you to be by yourself like this."

"N-nothing's wrong," she replies nervously. "Everything is absolutely fine." A nervous chuckle follows after while the pinkette rubs the back of her head.

Jellal isn't convinced and pushes the matter on. "You know, if there's something that's bothering you, you can always tell me, Meredy. I'm here for you," he says in a comforting tone.  
Meredy's green hues lower to the ground, staring at the male's boots. She could never hide anything from him. He knows her too well.

"Um… actually… it's about my magic…" She confessed at last.

"Your magic? Maguilty Sense?" He asks curiously. "What about it?"

"Well," she begins as she pulls out a book from beneath her blue coat. "I've been studying it all over again just to see how else I can improve. It turns out that there's another purpose to Maguilty Sense. One that doesn't involve simply linking pain and other senses." The pinkette opens the old book's pages to further explain, coming close to Jellal's side to show the illustrations.

"You see, Maguilty Sense's true purpose is to link with your allies on an emotional level… Love, hate, fear, bravery, anger, joy… All the human emotions you can think of shared with another."

"I see," replies Jellal as he studies the book closely, "and what is gained through such a link?"

"Both persons have their powers significantly boosted," continues Meredy, "but… there's a certain condition that must first be met."

"Condition?"

"Both parties… have to be really close. They have to believe in each other unwaveringly. If this condition is met, then they'll have their powers amplified many times over."

"That's incredible," replies Jellal, impressed by such a magic. "So then, what's the problem?"

"I…" Her head lowers once again as she closes the book. A pink hue now coats her cheeks. "I've never done this before… I've never had someone that believed in me in such a way besides Ul. This would be easy to do if she were still with us–"

"I believe in you," Jellal quickly says as to avoid talking further about the sad past of Ultear having left the group. "I believe in you wholeheartedly."

"J-Jellal…" Her orbs lift to meet his own. The pink hue upon her cheeks darken further. Nervousness and fear slowly setting in. "B-but… I've never linked with a man on an emotional level before. It's easy between girls."

"Well, what about Sorano? Would she be able to help you?"

"….No," she replies as she shakes her head. "We hardly know each other… Thus believing in each other right now it's pretty much impossible."

"Then… let's try," he replies as he offers Meredy his left wrist to start the link. "There is nothing gained or lost if we don't at least try."

"I know, but…" Meredy is frightened. Her fear doesn't come from simply linking with Jellal, but rather what emotions she would be thrusting unto him. Emotions she has kept hidden from him would come to light. Feelings of affection and love towards the man that she didn't want to burden him with.

"But you have me by your side," he says with a gentle smile. "Come what may, we stand together, just like we always have since we've met."

Jellal's encouraging words relaxes Meredy as well as grant her the bravery she so desperately needed. "Alright," she replies with a nod, "Let's try it then."

Meredy's left wrist meets with Jellal's, causing pink orbs of light to surround them both. "Maguilty Link… established." The insignia of her magic appears upon their wrists in pink seals each with a heart.

She could feel it. Jellal's emotions. They were calm and soothing, yet powerful. It gave her strength and courage. Yet it also grants calming warmth in her chest. Her hands press upon her bosom as she's enveloped by this new sensation. Her and Jellal had become one. How wonderful, she thought as her cheeks once again begins to glow with a pink shade.

"What is this sensation?" asks Jellal as he, too, felt the same things she did. "It feels familiar… And why do I feel so… flustered?"

"Eh?" Meredy quickly reacts. Flustered? Familiar sensation? Did she… share her feelings for him? Could he feel her love and affection? Did she lose herself completely to the warmth he had brought? Her eyes grew wider, her mouth trembling, and cheeks burning a deep crimson. "Ehhhh?"

"Why am I suddenly so nervous?!" exclaims the bluenette, unaware that he is simply making matters worse. Meredy's cheeks grew red from the embarrassment. In exchange, so did Jellal's which left him bewildered. "M-Meredy? Why are you so nervous?!"

"It's because- umm… I…" Meredy couldn't bring herself to say. Without another word, she quickly ceased the spell and ran off with her hands covering her face in shame and embarrassment and quickly hid inside her tent.

"Meredy, wait!" Jellal had called out as she ran, extending a hand towards her, but to no avail. "Did I do something wrong…?"

"You're a dumbass, you know that?" A males voice is suddenly heard, causing Jellal to turn in the direction it was coming from. It was Cobra, who had been listening in all this time on what was going on.

"What do you mean?" asks Jellal.

"I mean, how do you not see what's going on? I could hear it all. But it doesn't take sound magic to see that Meredy obviously has feelings for you, you dumbass."

"What?" Jellal's surprised by the sudden news, causing him to open his eyes widely for a moment.

"And deep down, you feel the same way about her."

"I don't–"

"You can't hide anything from me, Jellal. I can hear it. You told her you believed in her wholeheartedly, right? It sounds so cheesy it hurts. But just where do you think those feelings of believing in her come from?"

"….." Cobra is right. To some degree, Jellal's feelings for Meredy had evolved past mere friendship and camaraderie. Perhaps it rooted from how much time they've spent together, suffering together, repenting together, and overall being together. But he had been hiding them, thinking they would only burden Meredy and the mission of defeating Zeref. Much in the same way Meredy had been hiding them from Jellal, until today.

"So do us all a favor and fix this little problem you two have so we can move on," says Cobra as he turns around to walk back towards Racer and resume his training.

"I'm surprised, Erik," says Jellal with a small grin, "I've never pegged you for someone who cared about others outside of your group."

"Oh, shut up," retorts the dragon slayer. "If we're to have any chance of beating Zeref and getting our prayers heard, I need you both at the top of your games. So get it figured out so you can use that boosting magic. And if you tell anyone about this, I'll slit your throat in your sleep."

Jellal could only chuckle to himself as Cobra walks away without another word. But the heavenly mage's thoughts quickly return to the issue at hand. He recalls the feelings he experienced when he was linked with Meredy. "That familiar feeling I felt before… was it love?" he asks himself. Perhaps it would be best to let the situation diffuse before confronting Meredy about it, he thought.

Later that evening, with the sun having set over the horizon and the stars light up the dark skies, the members of Crime Sorciere gather for dinner. That is except for one who has remained in her tent the entire time.

Quick to notice her absence, Jellal decides to bring Meredy's portion of the meal over to her tent personally. It would grant him the excuse he would need to see her again before the day ends.

"Meredy," calls out Jellal as he approaches the pinkette's tent with a plate of food in hand, "it's time for dinner."

"I don't want any…" replies Meredy with her voice reflecting how upset she still is after the events of today.

"But you have to eat-"

"Just go away!" Meredy is seen hugging her pillow closely, burying her face into its soft and plush material. "I'm not hungry…"

Well, this is a first. Meredy has never refused a warm meal before nor backlash at Jellal in such a fashion. The male is well aware of how she must feel. To have her feelings pried open without warning like that must have taken its toll.

"Meredy… I'm coming in, alright?" he asks, requesting her permission to enter her private quarters. "You really do need to eat."

"…." Meredy neither approved nor refused his request, remaining still with her face buried in the pillow.

Jellal unzips the entrance to her tent and steps in, zipping it back up afterwards. He hopes to keep things between them and avoid any prying ears. He places the plate of food down carefully before sitting down next to the upset girl with legs crossed. Her back faces him as to avoid any face-to-face interactions.

"Meredy, about what happened-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she quickly responds with her voice muffled in the pillow.  
Jellal sighs as he finds himself in a rather difficult situation. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

"You know you can tell me anything, Meredy. Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"….because…"

"Because?"

Meredy's head lifts from the pillow and now rests her chin atop so she could take a breath. "…because it wouldn't matter," she confesses in a quiet tone.

"Wouldn't matter? Meredy, anything and everything relating to you does matter to me. You should know that by now," Jellal replies, keeping his voice as calm and soothing as he can to keep her relaxed.

"I do know that, Jellal. But this… this wouldn't change anything between us. Even if I told you how I felt, I'd only be making things difficult between us and I didn't want that. I mean… just look at us now."

There's stillness in the air as Jellal thinks about his answer for the next few moments.

"We've been through so much worse than this, Meredy," he finally says. "This is… only natural that it should happen. Perhaps not in the way that it happened, but still. We've been together for so many years now. You've grown to become a wonderful and beautiful woman, one that I adore and care for deeply."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she replies in a soft tone, her frustrations slowly diminishing as it's replaced with feelings of embarrassment and shyness.

"I'm not," says Jellal as a quiet chuckle slips past his lips. "If you doubt me, then link with me again so you can really see how I feel."

"I'd rather not… You'll just end up making fun of me."

"Then try me."

"…"

Meredy didn't know how to respond to his challenge. Should she simply believe his words or actually link with the man. She hesitates and remains still, unsure of what to do or say.

"Did you… feel my own emotions when we linked?" Jellal asks as to break the silence once more.

"…yeah. I did."

"What was it like?"

"It was… warm…" she confesses. "…like a small sun was in my chest."

"Is that not proof of my sincerity to you?"

Meredy's eyes widen for a brief moment. Indeed, she has no reason to ever doubt his words. She slowly turns over to her other side, facing the man sitting next to her. Her emerald orbs lifting to meet with the soft gaze coming from Jellal.

"Hi there," the bluenette greets with a gentle smile.

"Hey…" the pinkette replies. Before she could say or think of anything else, Meredy slowly crawls over and rests her head upon Jellal's lap, seeking comfort. The male replies to her request by taking off her earmuffs and proceeding to gently run his fingers through her soft hair, caressing her in a loving manner.

"Will things… be different between us?" asks the female as she closes her eyes and sighs softly from the gentle touch.

"Only a little bit," replies the heavenly mage. "We'll be a little closer from now on."

"…because of my sense link?"

"No… because of how we feel about each other."

Meredy's cheeks instantly flushed into a dark shade of pink. "H-how… do you feel about me?"

"That's a little obvious, wouldn't you say?" teases Jellal as his arm reaches over and takes hold of Meredy's left hand. "Link with me… and I'll show you."

Meredy gasps softly upon feeling his warm hand take her own and listening to his words. She holds onto him tightly and activates her magic.

"Maguilty Link… established," she states as both of their wrists once again is imbued with the pink seal and heart that reflects the mage's magic.

She could feel it all over again. The warmth and calm of his emotions mixed with the raging power that came from his unwavering faith in her. But something is different. Something felt… stronger. The burning in her chest feels stronger. Her heart is beating faster. This sensation… it wasn't coming from her.

"Jellal… is this-?"

"Love? …yeah," he replies as he remains in control of himself, not letting Meredy's emotions take the best of him again.

Meredy gasps once more before the emotions take the best of her, causing tears to swell in her eyes. But they weren't tears of sadness, but of joy. Losing her concentration, she ends the link with Jellal and turns over to face him, looking up from his lap.

"Then does that mean…?"

Jellal takes a moment to regain his composure after feeling Meredy's emotions become so strong for that brief moment. However, he soon cups her cheek and gently caresses with his thumb, wiping away one of the tears that had escaped the pinkette.

"I love you, Meredy," he confesses in a soft whisper. "I love you more than just a comrade or ally. I love you for you. I love you for being there for me, for always supporting me, for never leaving me alone, and for helping me when I needed it the most. I love you for the way you smile at me, for the way you brighten my days no matter how dark they may get, and for finding ways to make me smile, too. I just… never said anything before because I didn't know how you would react. Nor did I think I deserve such a thing as love."

Meredy is at a complete loss for words. Her hands were cupped over her mouth so as to keep herself silent as she heard his words. Her heart skipped a beat after each sentence. Tears continue to stream from the corners of her eyes. She couldn't believe this turn of events.

Taking a moment to compose herself and wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks, the pinkette finds the strength to sit up from Jellal's lap and shift onto her knees to face him. Her arms immediately wrap themselves around his neck in a tight hug with her face buried into the side of his neck. Jellal returns the embrace with his arms wrapping around her upper body.

"I love you, too," Meredy replies as she lifts her head and brings herself closely to his ear to whisper. "I love seeing you every day, hearing your soothing voice calm me, and seeing you smile at me. I love the way you care about me so much even though I've never asked for such affection from you. My heart aches whenever I see you in pain because of your past, so I do all I can to make you feel better. You're the only family I have left and I never want to let you go. I want to be with you always. And I don't care if you think you deserve it or not, but I love you and I'll keep doing so anyways."

Jellal's eyes had widened in surprise as he heard her confessions. Never did he think such passionate and heartwarming words would be directed at him. His arms embrace her a little tighter after that, holding her close and not wanting to let her go. The couple's eyes are shut tightly as they held each other for those few moments. It was like a weight had been lifted from both of their chests and in return they had been rewarded with a kind of affection neither wished to lose and both wanted to treasure forever.

Their arms would soon loosen up as the young girl lifts herself from the man's shoulder and gaze into his brown eyes. She shifts herself a little closer, lifting her leg over his body to straddle his lap carefully. Her hands lower from his broad shoulders and now press against his strong chest. Her breathing had ceased. She could feel her heart beating strongly, resonating in her ears.

The bluentte's hands had lowered onto her hips, holding her from the back. He, too, began to feel his heart beating a little faster. His breathing becomes shallow. Both mages realize the close proximity between them.

Meredy leans forward slowly. Her gaze constantly shifts from Jellal's eyes to his lips and back. She knows what's coming, but is she ready for it, she wondered. The former wizard saint has the same thoughts in mind. As she came closer, his heart beats faster.

Parted lips are seen mere inches from the other. The space between them diminishes with each passing second. All breathing has ceased. And in that moment, not a single thought would dare to cross the duo's minds.

Their lips connect at last. A long and innocent kiss ensues as they cease any further actions, closing their eyes, and simply enjoying this new sensation that has come into their lives. A quiet gasp his heard from Meredy as she melts into the kiss, gripping tightly onto Jellal's shirt then slowly releasing the fabric. Her cheeks burn a crimson hue as she felt herself growing lightheaded.

Jellal, on the other hand, kept his cool demeanor about him, though his heart would not cease the rapid pace it was beating at. Her lips feel so soft and welcoming, he thought. He almost couldn't believe this kiss to be true. His hands remain upon her lower back, moving in small motions as to further comfort the maiden.

After a few moments, the couple breaks the kiss and gasp loudly, having remembered the importance of breathing. Their eyes open and lock gazes with one another. Though it was a mere kiss, it was far more intense than either had predicted. However, Jellal simply smiles at Meredy, and in return, Meredy smiles back. She feels at ease, even after such a heart-pounding exchange.

She lowers herself onto his chest and cuddles into Jellal. The bluenette wraps his arms around her in exchange, holding her in a warm embrace.

"I love you, Jellal~" whispers Meredy in a soft yet joyful whisper.

"I love you, too, Meredy," he replies in kind with his smile remaining steadily across his lips. "Tomorrow, let's try the Sense Link again. I bet we'll be able to tap into its full potential now."  
Meredy nods against his chest in agreement. "So long as we believe in each other like this, I have no doubts in my mind about doing so."

Suddenly, the simultaneous growls of both their stomachs are head, causing them to blush in embarrassment respectively.

"Perhaps we should have dinner first," suggests Meredy with a nervous chuckle.

"I don't need sound magic to know that that's a good idea," replies Jellal with a soft laugh.


End file.
